Her fear was confirmed as they neared the guest house, she was now close enough to see the vehicle parked in front of the building. She didn't need to come close, she had recognized it immediately she turned the corner but she had been hoping she was wrong. She was not in the mood for another confrontation. She had hoped she would get home and relax while trying to think things through. She really needed to, especially after talking to her lawyer on phone, but now that would be impossible. she had not seen nor heard from Siji since their conversation the previous day but she knew she would hear from him again. She had informed her lawyer about his threat and he had assured her there was nothing to be worried about but she still could not rest her mind. she swore under her breath as she drove closer
She was not the only one who recognized the car.
"Grandma is here." Rose screamed excitedly beside her.
---Yea, she is here. How in God's name did she find the house?--- Ese asked herself as she watched her mother step out of the car.
As soon as Ese killed the engine, Rose ran to meet Isabella shouting "Grandma! Grandma!" Her grandmother lifted her up and gave her a bear hug. "Grandma has missed you so much little pie. How are you my favorite grandchild?"
"She is the only grandchild you have." Ese who had also gotten out of the car said, smiling. She was carrying her handbag and Rose's school bag which the little girl had left behind in her excitement.
"And whose fault is it? You and Richard have refused to give me more grandkids." Ese did not like the direction where the discussion was going so she tactfully ignored her mum's statement. Ambrose filled in the silence by greeting her "Good afternoon small madam."
"Hello Ambrose, welcome mum, how was the journey?"
"It was fine my dear, how are you doing?"
"We are fine. How did you manage to locate the house? You didn't even call that you were coming."
"So I now need to take permission before I see my own daughter and granddaughter?" Isabella asked
"That's not what I'm saying mum, you know you are always welcome, I just thought....."
"Won't you open the door and let us in? Or do I have to answer all your questions first?"
Ese searched for the key in her bag and made to open the door.
"Hope you have enough rooms in this building, it won't be nice to make Ambrose sleep in the car."
"Are you sleeping over?" Ese asked, trying to keep the alarm off her voice. Not that she did not want her mother around, but she knew her mum too well to assume that it was just a social visit, her mum was on a mission and sleeping over means they were both going to have a long night.
"Of course we are, check the time, it's too late to start going back to Benin." Isabella said.
Ese was not fooled, it was just some minutes to 3pm and she had left Ife for Benin later than that several times before.
"No problem mum, he can stay in one of the free rooms."
"Okay. Rose I need to hear how you've been, I have so missed you." Isabella said as she carried Rose and walked through the opened door. Ese followed quietly behind.
She was not the only one who recognized the car.
"Grandma is here." Rose screamed excitedly beside her.
---Yea, she is here. How in God's name did she find the house?--- Ese asked herself as she watched her mother step out of the car.
As soon as Ese killed the engine, Rose ran to meet Isabella shouting "Grandma! Grandma!" Her grandmother lifted her up and gave her a bear hug. "Grandma has missed you so much little pie. How are you my favorite grandchild?"
"She is the only grandchild you have." Ese who had also gotten out of the car said, smiling. She was carrying her handbag and Rose's school bag which the little girl had left behind in her excitement.
"And whose fault is it? You and Richard have refused to give me more grandkids." Ese did not like the direction where the discussion was going so she tactfully ignored her mum's statement. Ambrose filled in the silence by greeting her "Good afternoon small madam."
"Hello Ambrose, welcome mum, how was the journey?"
"It was fine my dear, how are you doing?"
"We are fine. How did you manage to locate the house? You didn't even call that you were coming."
"So I now need to take permission before I see my own daughter and granddaughter?" Isabella asked
"That's not what I'm saying mum, you know you are always welcome, I just thought....."
"Won't you open the door and let us in? Or do I have to answer all your questions first?"
Ese searched for the key in her bag and made to open the door.
"Hope you have enough rooms in this building, it won't be nice to make Ambrose sleep in the car."
"Are you sleeping over?" Ese asked, trying to keep the alarm off her voice. Not that she did not want her mother around, but she knew her mum too well to assume that it was just a social visit, her mum was on a mission and sleeping over means they were both going to have a long night.
"Of course we are, check the time, it's too late to start going back to Benin." Isabella said.
Ese was not fooled, it was just some minutes to 3pm and she had left Ife for Benin later than that several times before.
"No problem mum, he can stay in one of the free rooms."
"Okay. Rose I need to hear how you've been, I have so missed you." Isabella said as she carried Rose and walked through the opened door. Ese followed quietly behind.
★★★
"So what do you plan to do now?" Isabella asked Ese. They were the only ones in the sitting room, Ese had just tucked Rose in and Ambrose had retired into the room he was given.
"I have already started it mum, I took a job here and that's what I'm doing."
"When will this madness stop? You can't just stay here, at some point you need to go back to your husband."
"Not this time mum, this time, it is for good."
"What are you talking about Ese? Do you know the effect your decision will have on your daughter?"
"I have endured enough for too long for my daughter's sake, and I am willing to endure more, but then I realised enduring it was doing her more harm than good."
"Ese, a child needs a father figure in her life."
"But Pago is hardly a father figure mum, he is an absentee father. And when he is around we always shout at each other. I think Rose has experienced enough of our fights. It is better for a child to be raised by a single parent than to be raised in such an unhealthy environment."
Isabella was quiet for a while and Ese started thinking maybe it was one of those rare moments where her mum acquiesced to her points of view. Then she said "maybe if you had more children this wouldn't be happening."
"Oh! Mummy don't go there again, I am not a manufacturer of kids, it's God."
"But one can decide to stop His work in one's life."
Isabella had often subtly accused Ese of deliberately not getting pregnant, she was not too far from the truth. But if she had known the truth, her years of experience in the bar would not have saved her from being shocked. The marriage was in name only. Ese never allowed it to be consummated, such was the hatred she had for her husband. The night he had gotten her drunk and forced himself on her was the only time they were together. She never gave him another chance after then.
"And how would more kids change a philandering and abusive husband? Mum you made me marry him against my wish and I have spent the last 8 years of my life pleasing everyone but me, it's time I started doing what's best for my daughter and I."
"So there is no stopping you, you're filing for a divorce?"
"I called my lawyer earlier in the day to start the process. He should contact Pago's lawyer before the week runs out."
"You didn't even waste time, when you called to tell me you were leaving him, I thought you'd tarry a bit before you make it official."
"There is no point wasting time, the earlier we get it over with the better for everyone concerned."
"What if he refuses to give in easily?"
"Pago wants the divorce as much as I do. But if he in any case changes his mind and tries to fight it, I will meet him in court."
"I have already started it mum, I took a job here and that's what I'm doing."
"When will this madness stop? You can't just stay here, at some point you need to go back to your husband."
"Not this time mum, this time, it is for good."
"What are you talking about Ese? Do you know the effect your decision will have on your daughter?"
"I have endured enough for too long for my daughter's sake, and I am willing to endure more, but then I realised enduring it was doing her more harm than good."
"Ese, a child needs a father figure in her life."
"But Pago is hardly a father figure mum, he is an absentee father. And when he is around we always shout at each other. I think Rose has experienced enough of our fights. It is better for a child to be raised by a single parent than to be raised in such an unhealthy environment."
Isabella was quiet for a while and Ese started thinking maybe it was one of those rare moments where her mum acquiesced to her points of view. Then she said "maybe if you had more children this wouldn't be happening."
"Oh! Mummy don't go there again, I am not a manufacturer of kids, it's God."
"But one can decide to stop His work in one's life."
Isabella had often subtly accused Ese of deliberately not getting pregnant, she was not too far from the truth. But if she had known the truth, her years of experience in the bar would not have saved her from being shocked. The marriage was in name only. Ese never allowed it to be consummated, such was the hatred she had for her husband. The night he had gotten her drunk and forced himself on her was the only time they were together. She never gave him another chance after then.
"And how would more kids change a philandering and abusive husband? Mum you made me marry him against my wish and I have spent the last 8 years of my life pleasing everyone but me, it's time I started doing what's best for my daughter and I."
"So there is no stopping you, you're filing for a divorce?"
"I called my lawyer earlier in the day to start the process. He should contact Pago's lawyer before the week runs out."
"You didn't even waste time, when you called to tell me you were leaving him, I thought you'd tarry a bit before you make it official."
"There is no point wasting time, the earlier we get it over with the better for everyone concerned."
"What if he refuses to give in easily?"
"Pago wants the divorce as much as I do. But if he in any case changes his mind and tries to fight it, I will meet him in court."
★★★
Siji parked in the garage of the house, it was a duplex, modest but cute, and situated in Omole Estate, one of the quietest part of town where most of the uppercase and some middle class citizens live.
The middle aged man sitting on a cushion chair in the balcony lowered the paper he was reading as Siji approached.
"How did it go?" The man asked
"Not as planned Prof."
"She didn't show up?"
"Oh! She did. Not showing up would have been better."
"What in God's name happened then?"
"She said the child isn't mine."
"What did you expect son? Did you expect her to rejoice and say 'welcome my beloved, I have been waiting for you all these years to give you your child'?"
"Of course I expected her to deny it, but she sounded serious, she wasn't lying, at least she believed what she said."
"It's been long you saw this girl last, you can't possibly tell if she is lying or not."
"You're right there, but she mentioned having a document to back her claim, she wasn't even moved by my threat to go court if possible. I think they already did a paternity test."
Jasper thought for a while and then said, "if that is the case, then maybe the child isn't yours then, but you can still insist on another test to be sure."
"I don't even know what to do anymore, I am confused."
"I warned you when you were about to embark on this revenge mission that it would be a tough one. I think you should let bygones be bygones now. If nothing else, find solace in the knowledge that we successfully wrested all the university's construction contracts from your friend.
"No sir." Siji shook his head "even if the child isn't mine and I can't claim the child, I still want them to suffer more, especially Pago, I want him to feel what I felt when I was setup, beaten and expelled. No sir, I may not know my next course of action but I am not done yet, not yet."
The middle aged man sitting on a cushion chair in the balcony lowered the paper he was reading as Siji approached.
"How did it go?" The man asked
"Not as planned Prof."
"She didn't show up?"
"Oh! She did. Not showing up would have been better."
"What in God's name happened then?"
"She said the child isn't mine."
"What did you expect son? Did you expect her to rejoice and say 'welcome my beloved, I have been waiting for you all these years to give you your child'?"
"Of course I expected her to deny it, but she sounded serious, she wasn't lying, at least she believed what she said."
"It's been long you saw this girl last, you can't possibly tell if she is lying or not."
"You're right there, but she mentioned having a document to back her claim, she wasn't even moved by my threat to go court if possible. I think they already did a paternity test."
Jasper thought for a while and then said, "if that is the case, then maybe the child isn't yours then, but you can still insist on another test to be sure."
"I don't even know what to do anymore, I am confused."
"I warned you when you were about to embark on this revenge mission that it would be a tough one. I think you should let bygones be bygones now. If nothing else, find solace in the knowledge that we successfully wrested all the university's construction contracts from your friend.
"No sir." Siji shook his head "even if the child isn't mine and I can't claim the child, I still want them to suffer more, especially Pago, I want him to feel what I felt when I was setup, beaten and expelled. No sir, I may not know my next course of action but I am not done yet, not yet."
Soji Adeola Ayanleke was born about 3 decades ago in Kano.
He studied Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife, he speaks Yoruba and Hausa fluently and he is
trying to learn Igbo and Spanish. His hobbies are reading, writing and
playing some indoor games.
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